Cozumel Property Closed After Activist’s Arrest

COZUMEL, MX — The Environmental Protection Prosecutor's Office (PPA) has placed closure seals on a property located on the southern coastline of the island, where the company Muelles del Caribe was carrying out land clearing work. This action comes after the detention of an activist identified as "Pepe Tiburón," who entered the site without permission last weekend.

The closure operation was carried out yesterday, apparently one day after the incident with the environmental activist, a member of the collective Sélvame Tierra, who allegedly entered the property to denounce the clearing. The situation forced workers on the site to request the presence of Municipal Police.

The arrest of the environmentalist was not carried out after the state Secretary of Environment and Ecology, Óscar Rébora, intervened and asked the company's representatives to drop the complaint.

In subsequent statements, Óscar Rébora acknowledged having received reports about the land clearing work, though he noted that the company had permits for brush clearing and vegetation cleaning. "The Prosecutor's Office is in charge of inspection and surveillance, so we will have to wait for its ruling," he stated.

However, hours later, the PPA executed a partial closure, which raised suspicions regarding the legality of the granted permits.

According to what was verified on site, a PPA inspector, accompanied by its head in Cozumel, Alberto Ventura, arrived at the property to proceed with the partial suspension of activities. The officials affixed seals to the front gate of the area without offering public statements on the specific reasons behind the measure, limiting themselves to describing the action as a "complementary visit."

Alberto Ventura avoided responding to any questions regarding the background of the suspension.

In this manner, land clearing activities will remain halted until the Prosecutor's Office issues a definitive resolution on the environmental and administrative status of the project.